


Glowing hearts

by xJane



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 6,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xJane/pseuds/xJane
Summary: Matteo has never really believed in the whole soulmate business. He thinks it’s just messy and painful, and if it was supposed to help people find happiness, it’s certainly failing. The marks are not a guarantee to everlasting love, so it doesn’t really matter he hasn’t got one. Oh, sure, the boys keep telling him it’s just because he hasn’t met his soulmate yet, and that it will appear any day now, but he shrugs it off. Who would ever love him, anyway?He doesn’t need a soulmate.If he says it often enough, he may start believing it.***Or, the one where Matteo and David are soulmates.(Posted in 17 tiny chapters of a few hundred words each.)
Relationships: Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner
Comments: 100
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Spoiler ahead] I was prompted to write a Davenzi soulmate AU with the following prompt:
> 
> "When you connect eyes with your soulmate for the first time, your dominant hand’s wrist will start to hurt. You are watching an actor/actress talk about their recent movie when they look at the camera for a split second. Your wrist starts to become irritated."
> 
> I changed the prompt slightly and I added a soul mark, just because I am difficult like that. :)
> 
> This story is over 6000 words but it is written in little mini-chapters of a few hundred words each. I'll post them chapter by chapter, so if you don't want to mess with all the little chapters wait a few days.

Matteo has never really believed in the whole soulmate business. He thinks it’s just messy and painful, and if it was supposed to help people find happiness, it’s certainly failing. He’s watched his father scrub angrily at the heart on his wrist, wanting it to go away. He’s seen how his mother keeps pulling her sleeve down to cover her mark, afraid of people questioning why her soulmate walked out on her. He’s been a part of the whole mess with Jonas and Hanna, who had to go through so much heartbreak, even with the marks clear and shining on their wrists – although when he’s honest he accepts his role in that, and he also is forced to admit they are happy together now.

Still, though. The marks are not a guarantee to everlasting love, so it doesn’t really matter he hasn’t got one. Oh, sure, the boys keep telling him it’s just because he hasn’t met his soulmate yet, and that it will appear any day now, but he shrugs it off. Who would ever love him, anyway? He is still the same lost boy he was in high school, although he’s let off on the weed significantly and somehow even managed to get a university degree.

He muddles through just fine, with a job he doesn’t despise, and he finally moved out of the flat share over summer. He misses Hans, but he cherishes his privacy. He hangs out with his friends occasionally, easily settling into the old familiarity. It’s as if nothing ever changed.

It’s as if nothing will ever change.

Matteo is fine with that.

Matteo doesn’t need a soulmate.

If he says it often enough, he may even start believing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any errors.
> 
> Also, I just 💙 comments!
> 
> <3


	2. Chapter 2

Matteo is flicking through the channels. None of his friends answered their phone this evening, and he is bored. He’s had pasta again for dinner, and he is not looking forward to another night of aimlessly browsing YouTube. Maybe there will be something interesting on tv, he thinks.

It looks like he might be disappointed once again.

Finally, he lands on a talk show of sorts.

A good-looking guy is talking animatedly about something. Matteo turns up the volume and listens to the guy talk about a movie he apparently made. Fuck, Matteo thinks. The guy looks to be about his age, and here he is, talking on tv about a movie he made. Matteo has spent the last week at work programming code into some software app which he vaguely seems to remember somebody said will automize speed ticket fine collecting. Not exactly a great service to humanity, he thinks. Nowhere near as cool as filmmaking, either.

The guy is passionate about his work, he goes on and on about how representation is important and how queer voices need to be heard. Matteo wonders if he is queer himself. He looks at the wild dark curls, the olive skin. Good-looking, talented, successful, queer. Matteo ticks off one of the four. Suddenly he feels jealousy rise like bile in his throat. This guy would definitely have a soulmate.

He doesn’t like that thought.

He reaches for the remote, wanting to turn off the tv, when the guy turns his head and grins straight into the camera. It seems like his brown eyes bore into Matteo’s soul. He freezes, his finger on the off button.

It lasts only a second, although to Matteo it feels like hours.

When the guy turns to the host again, he seems to be blushing. Matteo finally pushes the button.

As he flicks away the remote, he sees, out of the corner of his eye, something on his wrist.

He swallows.

A bright red heart proudly adorns his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to point out any errors!
> 
> And if you want to leave a comment, don't let me stop you.
> 
> <3


	3. Chapter 3

Matteo has been wrapping a band-aid over his wrist for days now. He hates the mark, feels it burning even under the bandage. He still has no clue who the guy is, and he doesn’t want to know. It was probably just a fluke anyway. He has never heard of the soulmate connection working through cameras and tv screens. He remembers Amira telling him, during one of their study sessions in high school, that the link between soulmates was incredibly powerful. There were instances documented from people’s gazes locking in mirrors, in the reflection of car windows, through cell phone cameras even. But through a tv screen? There must have been thousands of people watching that show, who would all have looked into the guys’ eyes at that same moment.

Besides, how on earth could he be the soulmate of somebody who clearly had their life sorted out?

He can’t get the guy’s face out of his head, though, as much as he tries. He dreams about the guy’s voice, his small smirk, and his grin. He tries to imagine what it would feel like to have those eyes see him, really see him, and that wide, gummy grin aimed at him. He can’t come up with anything. Nobody ever looked at him as if they wanted to know everything about him.

He wonders what it would be like, having a true soulmate. Someone who would love him without condition. Somebody he could be fully himself with, and not be afraid they’d leave.

Then he remembers his mom.

He remembers how their high school biology teacher said “uncomplimentary soulmates” were extremely rare. He doesn’t know if she ever said something about it being hereditary. It would be just his luck, though.

He takes the band-aid off and stares at the small heart. It seems so tiny, so insignificant, and yet, it is supposed to lead him to the one human being that should become the most important person in the whole world for him.

He wishes he’d never gotten it. All it does it make him long, make him wonder, make him desire. And he knows he can’t have.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all wrap Matteo in a million soft blankets.

“Why do you keep fiddling with that band-aid, Luigi? What did you do to your wrist anyway?”, Jonas asks.

Matteo immediately puts his hand in his pocket, blushing at being caught.

“Nothing… cut myself.”

Matteo knows he’s never been able to lie to Jonas, but he hopes fervently he’ll get away with it this one time.

Jonas tilts his head. Hanna extends her arm.

“Is it bad? Do you want me to take a look?”

Matteo retreats even further.

“No, seriously, it’s nothing. Just a tiny cut. Nothing I haven’t seen before, you know how clumsy I am.”

He tries to laugh, but it sounds fake even to his own ears.

“Well, it’s clearly bugging you,” Hanna says. “You’ve been tugging at it the whole time. Come on, I’ll get you a clean band-aid at least.”

Matteo gives up. He peels off the dirty piece of plaster and sticks out his arm.

Hanna gasps, and Jonas swears. Then they both look at Matteo. Hanna has worry shining through in her eyes, while Jonas can barely conceal his excitement.

“You found your soulmate? Luigi, that’s great! What’s his name?”

Matteo shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“Just that I don’t know.”

“But… Didn’t you talk to him then? Or he to you? When it happened?”

Matteo sits and stares at him. Bless Jonas for immediately wanting to send out the wedding invitations. He has always been Matteo’s fiercest and most loyal supporter, constantly telling him he deserved love, lecturing him about how great his soulmate would be.

Of course, Matteo had to spoil all of Jonas’ beautiful fantasies once again.

“I couldn’t.”

“Oh, come on, Luigi, we’ve been over this! Soulmate connections are strong, and you’re not supposed to ignore them. You deserve to meet him, why did you not even try to talk to him?”

Hanna softly places her hand on Jonas’ arm. Jonas stops ranting, but keeps muttering quietly about how much of an idiot Matteo is.

“Why couldn’t you, Matteo?”, Hanna asks kindly.

“I saw him on tv.”

Jonas stops spluttering. Hanna gasps again. Matteo shrugs, and remains silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any errors.
> 
> And how about those comments, huh? Pretty please?
> 
> <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, because it's Saturday we can have two chapters today.
> 
> Tomorrow: someone (we all know who) finally talks some sense into Matteo.
> 
> <3

The boys think it’s hilarious.

Jonas has called an emergency meeting to find David’s soulmate, but Abdi has been sniggering the whole time and Carlos shakes his head repeatedly, muttering “Only you, Luigi, only you.”

Matteo doesn’t blame them.

He always knew he wasn’t cut out for this soulmate business.

“Okay, guys, but let’s think about this for a second. We need to find this guy for Luigi,” Jonas says, exasperated.

Matteo mumbles “Not for me, I don’t need him,” but Jonas throws him such a dirty look he quickly shuts up.

“What was the tv show called, Luigi? We can look it up online, see if they have their guests listed on their website.”

“No idea,” Matteo says gleefully. “I was just channel surfing and I hit it.”

“Okay, well, what channel? And what time? We’ll check the tv guide.”

“It was Thursday at about nine-thirty, but I don’t know the channel.”

“Shit,” Jonas says, defeated.

“Okay, but why was he on tv in the first place? Is he famous?”, Carlos pipes up. “We could try to find him like that.”

“Good idea,” Abdi replies, getting warmed up to the task at hand now.

“All I know is he made a movie. No, I don’t know the movie’s title, or even what it’s about.”

“Shit, dude, that’s your soulmate we are talking about! You didn’t even pay attention enough to catch the title of his movie?”

Carlos sounds upset at this new dead end.

“I only saw the mark after I turned the tv off, so don’t give me crap.”

“I can give you crap if I want to,” Abdi quips, and they all laugh.

“Seriously, guys, it’s no big deal. We don’t need to find him. It’s probably some weird glitch in the system, anyway. How can it even work through the tv?”

The boys are quiet at that.

Then Jonas gets more beers, and they sit quietly, drinking beer after beer until they’re pleasantly buzzed and they move on to other issues.

Matteo almost forgets about the heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to point out any errors.
> 
> Comments make the sun shine brighter!
> 
> <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think, because it's Sunday and it's cold and rainy and dreary and summer seems well and truly over, and because nobody can't wait for Matteo to find David, we're gonna do two chapters right now.
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy.
> 
> <3

Amira calls Matteo a few days later. They meet up for coffee, and of course, the grapevine has done its job. Matteo suspects Carlos told Kiki and Kiki told everybody. Still, he doesn’t mind too much when Amira immediately grabs his arm to inspect his wrist.

She looks at him quizzically.

“I think it can work through a tv camera, Matteo.”

Of course, Kiki wouldn’t have left the interesting details out.

“I have looked into some old course books, and I think it really could happen.”

“But there must have been thousands of people watching that show. He would have been looking into all of these people’s eyes.”

“Yeah, but none of them would have gotten their mark at that very moment.”

Matteo hadn’t thought about that.

“And what about him, then?”

“Well,” Amira says, “I would assume that if he looked into your eyes, you looked into his somehow too. The mark only appears when soulmates lock gaze for the first time.”

“So, you’re saying he could have gotten his mark at that moment, the exact moment he looked into that camera?”

“Soul marks appear when the soulmates lock eyes. It’s either both or none. I’ve never heard of only one of the pair getting the mark. So, yes, I think he must have gotten it at the same time. It’s the only thing that makes sense, if you ask me,” she says, thoughtfully, but truthfully, as always.

“Do you think I should try to find out who he is?”, Matteo inquires slowly, after a long silence in which they both sip their drinks.

“I think you should, Matteo.”

Matteo nods. Amira will not push him, but she does not hesitate to give him her opinion either.

“But then what? I try to contact him, just like that, saying I’m his soulmate? Why would he even believe me?”

Amira finishes her coffee and sets down the cup carefully before answering.

“Because he also has a soul mark on his wrist since that day. He must be wondering who was on the other side of that camera, too.”

And Matteo hadn’t even thought about what his soulmate would be feeling right now, before Amira brought it up, whether he’d be curious to know his soulmate, whether he was happy about the mark.

It is only after he says goodbye to her, walking home through the narrow alleys of Berlin, that he realizes he thought of the guy as his soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill: let me know if you spot any errors, and if you don't, let me know what you thought just in general.
> 
> <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matteo is about to take action!
> 
> Don't worry, it's Matteo we're talking about, so... baby steps.
> 
> <3

Matteo is about to cave.

He tells himself that whatever Amira might think, it is impossible to make a connection through the tv screen, and that even if it could happen, it didn’t mean anything. He tells himself he doesn’t care about the blood-red heart. He keeps it covered, not wanting to see it, to think about it, to reflect on all its implications. He doesn’t want to admit that late at night, he removes the strip of plastic and stares at it, wondering if his soulmate is doing the same.

He tells himself every day he doesn’t want to know who it is. He almost convinces himself there is no point in looking, because nothing could ever come of it. He can’t just contact the guy, even if he succeeds in finding out who he is.

He tries not to think about the guy, who may be at this moment wanting to meet _him_ , wanting to find _him_ , Matteo. He tries to ignore that voice in his head – it often sounds like Amira’s – telling him the guy may want to get to know him, fall in love with him.

He manages to hold off for a while, even after his talk with Amira, but he knows he is just delaying the inevitable.

Tonight, alone in his little flat, with yet another pasta dish in front of him, he finally gives in.

He tries a couple of google searches – combinations of ‘New German movies’ and ‘Young German moviemakers’ and ‘Queer movies in Germany’ – until he stumbles on an article about a new movie called ‘Unafraid of the dark’.

The critics are enthusiastic, heaping appraisal on the film. Matteo gleans it talks about queer youth and their struggles. It seems to be discussing the inherent heteronormativity of society and how many young LBGTQ+ people still fear coming out, often staying stuck in the closet for way too long.

The director, the article continues, has drawn on personal experiences to write the movie, which had been his graduating project at one of Berlin’s film schools. David Schreibner had a great future ahead. His name apparently already figured on the longlist for some prestigious young director award.

Matteo feels inadequate after reading the glowing piece.

He almost hopes this David Schreibner is not the guy who looked into Matteo’s eyes. What would a successful young director want from Matteo? What would they talk about? What would they even have in common?

It really couldn’t have been him, Matteo reasons. That’s what gives him the courage to do an image search for David Schreibner.

The first result shows a beautiful guy, dark clothes, dark curls, tanned skin with rosy cheeks. No smile. But the eyes strike Matteo the most. Dark and deep pools, which seem hollow somehow, as if they are waiting for something.

Or someone.

Matteo swallows.

He has found his soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not hesitate to let me know if you find an error.
> 
> Hesitate even less to let me know what you think!
> 
> <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matteo taking more baby steps. 
> 
> <3

Matteo follows David Schreibner on Instagram now. His profile is almost empty. Some pictures of what appears to be a film set. A selfie, with his degree in his hand. A few sketches – did he draw those? What do they mean? – A couple of links to articles about Unafraid of the dark, and an announcement he will be on tv talking about it.

It is not enough for Matteo. He wants to know every detail about David Schreibner. When is his birthday? Does he like coffee? What is his favourite colour?

Matteo wonders why his profile is so bare. Maybe he is just being professional. Maybe he has another account, a private one, where he shares all the little facets of his personality Matteo craves to see.

Matteo doesn’t need two separate accounts. He is just a nobody at a huge programming firm. His boss doesn’t even know his name. Nobody gives a shit about the stupid memes on his profile. Maybe he should stop doing that, he wonders. He is a real adult now. He pays his bills. Matteo Monday, Florenzi Friday… As if. He doubts if anybody would even notice if he stops.

He doubts if anybody would notice if he just vanished. It seems so easy sometimes. Just pack up and leave. Start again somewhere else, somewhere new, where he could pretend to be someone interesting. He thinks if he ever got a wish granted, that might be it. Just to get away.

Then he reconsiders. Jonas would miss him, he thinks. And his mom. And Carlos and Abdi, and Amira, and the girls. Hans. Linn and Victoria.

He may not be the most important person in their lives, but they are his friends. They care about him. They call him when he holes up in his flat for too long, invite themselves over for pasta alla Luigi.

He may not be their soulmate, but that doesn’t matter. They love him anyway.

He doesn’t need a soulmate.

Then he remembers he has a soulmate. David Schreibner is his soulmate.

Matteo clicks on the selfie.

David laughs in it, a wide, honest smile. A girl with long brown hair is hugging him in the picture. His girlfriend?

Matteo knows many people have relationships with people that are not their soulmates. He cannot compete with the pretty girl. He doesn’t even want to try.

He puts a new band-aid on his wrist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any errors!
> 
> And leave me a comment, if you want the next chapter still today. :)
> 
> <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I teased you about another chapter...
> 
> And because after this things will be going better...
> 
> <3

Matteo thinks he should stop following David. He doesn’t like how often he opens up the app, hoping against hope that his soulmate would have posted a new picture of himself.

He always scrolls through to the graduation photo. The one where David smiles so genuinely.

Is it bad that Matteo imagines that smile directed towards him?

It is.

David is smiling like that at his girlfriend.

Matteo zooms in, until the girl disappears from the frame. He looks at David. He stares into David’s eyes, the eyes that seemed to see right into Matteo’s mind, that night when his soul mark showed up.

It all seems so surreal.

He wants to call Amira again. Wants to know if she has ever heard about one-sided soulmates. He thinks that must be it. David is Matteo’s soulmate, but Matteo is not David’s. It would be preposterous.

David is smiling in the picture as if he already found his soulmate.

Davis is smiling, because why would he not? He is doing something he obviously loves, and is pretty damn good at, if the press is to be believed. He seems happy and loved. He seems to be perfectly fine without Matteo.

Matteo is perfectly fine without David.

He just wishes everybody would stop making a big deal about the whole soulmate business. His friends have been going on about it non-stop, asking Matteo all sorts of questions so they can find his mystery soulmate. Matteo doesn’t tell them he has already found David.

His fingers hover over the screen.

He could send David a message. Maybe he should. He doesn’t have to talk about the soulmate stuff.

David probably gets hundreds of messages from strangers, Matteo thinks. He’d believe Matteo is just another weird fan. He wouldn’t even answer. Matteo could tell everybody he tried, that David wasn’t interested.

He hates how he calls David David now, in his mind. David. His soulmate.

It sounds nice, Matteo thinks. He could get used to it. David. The syllables roll off his tongue, his lips form the few sounds easily. It feels familiar somehow. David. David and Matteo. Matteo and David.

He should stop thinking like that. He taps the unfollow button and goes out to buy more band-aids.

He does not delete his screenshot of David’s picture, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any errors, point them out please!
> 
> Comments go right below!
> 
> <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens, finally we learn what David is up to, and the squad comes to the rescue.
> 
> <3

As soon as Matteo enters Carlos’ and Kiki’s place, Kiki pulls him to the couch and pushes him down.

“Matteo! There is this guy who’s all over social media trying to find his soulmate! He says his mark appeared after he was on tv! It could be him, Matteo,” she yells, emphasizing every other word, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Just think, what if it really is him? We could have found your soulmate!”

Matteo shrinks.

Was David really looking for him? What about his girlfriend then?

It would be better if David stopped searching, Matteo thinks. He would be disappointed to find Matteo. Matteo is not pretty like the girl in the picture. Matteo doesn’t know the first thing about what makes movies good. Matteo isn’t driven and passionate like David. Matteo definitely couldn’t speak on tv about anything, he’d stutter and forget his train of thoughts and stare like a deer caught in the headlights. Matteo doesn’t speak out about the issues queer people face – Matteo is still halfway in the closet, if he were to believe Hans. Matteo just goes to work every day at eight and programs until five. Matteo tries not to think too much about anything. Matteo doesn’t know what he’s doing most of the time.

He unconsciously rubs over the band-aid, over the crimson soul mark staining his skin.

They are all here – Jonas and Carlos and Abdi and Hanna and Kiki and Sam and Amira and Mohammed, and they are all ready for this, rooting for Matteo to find his soulmate.

The small heart seems to glow, warm underneath its cover.

Everybody looks at him. There is expectancy and excitement all over their faces. Matteo should be excited and expectant too, with the promise of a soulmate on the horizon.

“Oh,” he says, dumbly.

“I have got it saved somewhere… Apparently he’s been all over his social media, telling the story of how his mark appeared, and if anybody knows his soulmate.”

Not all over his social media, Matteo almost retorts. There definitely wasn’t anything of the sort on his Instagram. Or at least there hadn’t been when Matteo had been following it.

He doesn’t say it out loud, though. His friends wouldn’t understand. They’d feel upset if they knew that Matteo had found his soulmate and hadn’t done anything about it. They’d feel wounded Matteo hadn’t told any of them about it.

Kiki opens something on her phone, and there is David.

He is looking straight at Matteo, and he swears he feels the heart on his wrist heat up. The one in his chest beats rapidly.

Matteo swallows and looks up.

His face says it all.

“It is! It is Luigi’s soulmate!”, Jonas exclaims, full of joy.

“Oh my god, we found him,” Kiki yells, hugging Matteo.

“Dude! You should contact him! Like, right now!”, Carlos says.

“I mean, he’s added all his contact info here,” Abdi cut in. “Instagram, Twitter, Messenger, even an e-mail address.”

Matteo remains frozen on the spot, staring at David’s face.

Hanna slowly waves her hand in front of Matteo’s eyes.

“Matteo? Are you okay?”

He nods, too dumbstruck to try to speak. He would have to contact David now. His friends wouldn’t accept anything else.

“Matteo?”, Hanna’s voice comes again. “Aren’t you glad?”

Matteo slowly turns his head towards her soft, understanding eyes.

He swallows away the lump in his throat.

“What if – what if he meets me and – and decides he doesn’t want me after all?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot an error? Let me know.
> 
> Have something else to say? Please do so! 
> 
> <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because nobody deserves to be sad, least of all Matteo.
> 
> <3

Matteo is scrolling through his soulmate’s Instagram feed – not the one he found earlier. This is the account he wanted to find, back then, full of pictures of a smiling David, interspersed with drawings and animated gifs. Now it scares him. The person in these pictures is his soulmate. His soulmate is looking for him. His soulmate now has his name, and his contact details.

His friends have hugged him, and sat him down, and firmly told him anybody would be lucky to be Matteo’s soulmate. They have gently but decidedly pushed him to take out his phone and draft a message to David.

His fingers trembled too much, so Hanna has done it for him, letting him read everything she typed before she sent it.

Now, Matteo is all alone in his bed. It is 4 am, but he is too hyped to sleep. He is afraid. He doesn’t know what he fears most – that David will reply, or that he won’t.

Matteo is tempted to delete all his accounts before David gets to see the message.

This Instagram feed has the same pretty brown-haired girl in it. There are other girls, too, hugging a glowing David. He scrolls past them, fast, without watching. He doesn’t want to think about the girl, but his treacherous mind doesn’t want to let go. If David is searching for his soulmate, does that mean the girls are just friends?

Matteo lingers on the pictures where David looks straight into the camera. He stares into his eyes, unblinking, and wishes he could read David’s mind. He has taken off the band-aid, and he touches the heart. It feels warm under his fingertips.

David hasn’t contacted him yet.

Maybe he just wants to let Matteo know he isn’t interested. Suddenly, the mark seems to freeze up and Matteo lifts his fingers from his wrist.

He throws away his phone. It lands with a dull thud on the edge of the bed. It is 5 am. Normal people are asleep. David is probably a normal person, who doesn’t get trapped in his own mind, his insecurities, his fears about his soulmate. David is a normal person who will contact the soulmate he has been wanting to find at a sane hour.

Matteo needs to stop being dramatic and get some sleep.

Just as he moves to switch off his bedside light, his phone vibrates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what to do by now.
> 
> <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COME ON MATTEO!

Matteo has been staring at his phone for minutes, as if it is a wild and easily spooked animal.

He doesn’t know what to do.

It is still dark, but outside the city is slowly waking up. It has started to rain at some point during the night, and Matteo hears the rhythmical ticking against his window. It sounds like the great standing clock in his nonna’s house, with the booming thuds that echoed through the little house on the top of every hour. It is as if even the weather is telling him he is wasting time, precious time that could be spent with his soulmate.

His wrist burns. He knows without checking his phone that David has contacted him.

His phone is both miles away and the closest it has ever been. All he has to do is reach out his arm, the one on which the scarlet mark is now throbbing, and grab the plastic, like he has done millions of times before, put his finger on the screen and read the words delivered to him by some engineering marvel Matteo doesn’t really bother to understand.

His throat is constricted as he tries to swallow his nerves away. He breathes in shallow, quick inhales, forcing himself to stay calm.

Deliberately, almost as if being maneuvered by a puppeteer, his arm crawls over his thin blanket and his fingers close around his phone.

Matteo unlocks the screen. His hand shakes when he tries to read the message.

Only one word stands out.

Soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO READY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!
> 
> Any comments? They go right below!
> 
> <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, why the hell not!
> 
> Let's have some crazily romantic David, shall we?
> 
> <3

_Hi, Matteo._

_This is David._

_Thank you for your message._

_Are you truly my soulmate? It seems so strange, after all this time, to finally know your name, your face. You look so beautiful in your pictures. Ethereal, with those blue eyes that could be those of an angel. I keep staring at them. I can’t believe I was looking into those ocean eyes when I got my mark. I wish I could have looked into them without a camera and a screen and a bunch of electromagnetic waves between us._

_My heart feels warm when I look at you – both my hearts do, if I’m honest, but my soul mark, it heats up, it burns. Why has nobody ever told me it would glow like that?_

_I was so happy when I got your message. I have been looking for you all my life – and since I got the mark, I have longed to meet you even more. I am so happy you found me, or I found you, or we found each other._

_I want to meet you, Matteo, look at you without any barriers between us. Hear your voice, see how the light hits your hair. I want to hug you, hold you close to me, touch the heart on your wrist._

_Did I scare you away? I hope I didn’t. Please give me a chance. Can I call you? Any day, any time. Let me know. I’ll be waiting, impatiently, but for as long as it takes._

_Your soulmate._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to let me know if you see any errors.
> 
> And how about some comment?
> 
> <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh, finally! *collective sigh of relief*
> 
> <3

They talk on the phone for hours. As soon as David picks up the phone, whispering a breathless “Matteo? Is that you? Is that really you?” that Matteo had to strain to hear, all anxiety flows out of Matteo’s body and he melts into that voice, into the brown eyes staring at him from his screen, in the screenshot he has had saved.

He is cuddled up between the sheets, his phone resting on the pillow beside him, his eyes closed as he listens to David, imagines how his lips form the words.

They ask questions, and answer, and listen.

The pretty girl is David’s sister. David lives with her, not even ten minutes away. They both chuckle at that – telling each other they could have met anywhere, and could have been spared the weeks of searching. They laugh when David spins a story about how they could have met in high school, David transferring into Matteo’s school, and their lockers being next to each other. It is a bit bittersweet, though, to think they could have found each other years ago, but Matteo says shyly he thinks it just wasn’t their time yet, and David replies it doesn’t matter, because now they know, and they have their whole lives still. Matteo finally finds out all the things he wondered about, like David’s birthday and coffee order and that he wants to go to Detroit more than anywhere else. David thinks filmmaking is nothing special, and he is in awe when Matteo tells him he has a degree in computer science. He doesn’t talk over Matteo when Matteo needs to think before speaking, and he listens carefully when Matteo, somewhere in the third hour, talks about his struggles with the idea of soulmates, because of how his father left his mother. He confesses to Matteo he didn’t think he would ever have a soulmate, even though he longed for one for as long as he can remember. Matteo quietly voices his fear of not being a good soulmate, and David ponders on that, before he quietly says: “My mark glows. You are the best soulmate I could wish for. You are my soulmate, and my mark tells me you are perfect,” and Matteo cries at that, and David lets him.

Matteo looks at the heart on his wrist, and it feels like it doesn’t just glow any longer – instead, now there is a warmth all over, inside him, and it threatens to spill out, paint the whole world red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three chapters left!
> 
> Tell me what you think?
> 
> <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since it is Friday, and we all could use some happy Davenzi after a long and tiring week, I have decided to post chapters 15 and 16 both right now. Tomorrow at some point I'll add the final chapter, which is just a short and fluffy conclusion of sort. And that way the people who were waiting for this to be completed before they started reading can read it all on Sunday. :)
> 
> <3

“Matteo?”, David asks, uncertainly. “Can we – do you think we could meet? I want to tell you something, and I want to do it in person… But I also don’t want to wait too long…”

Matteo is quiet. Yesterday, he thinks, a sentence like this would have scared him. He would have assumed something bad was about to happen, and he would have retreated in his hole, refusing to listen to whatever it was, childishly pretending that whatever it was, if he couldn’t see it, it didn’t really exist.

But he is not the same Matteo he was yesterday. After today, after David, he knows he can handle the things that have frightened him all his life.

David exists. David wants to be with Matteo. David is not trying to tell Matteo he will leave him. David is trying to tell Matteo he trusts him with something so big he doesn’t want to tell him over the phone. And Matteo is ready to listen to David, and to be there for David, and to let David into the darkest parts of his soul, as David will do for him.

And Matteo wants to meet David. He thinks he needs to see David, to look into his eyes, to breathe in the same air. He feels like he has been missing a part of himself, and he never even knew it was gone, until it showed up – but now he needs it. It’s almost like he is swimming underwater, without oxygen, and he will drown if he doesn’t reach the surface soon. David is the hand that reaches for him, that pulls Matteo out of his loneliness, a lifeline, and Matteo cannot wait to see the world without the water distorting everything in front of him.

And so he can answer David without fear, without hesitation.

“Of course. You can come to my flat, if you want to.”

He hears David let out a breath, and then say gratefully, “I want to. I very much want to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? Pretty please?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst! I posted two chapters together, so if you are unsure whether you've read chapter 15, hit that 'Previous chapter' button!
> 
> <3

David looks good in his flat, on his couch.

Matteo has had his friends over, but it mostly felt like they were intruding in his safe space, although he loves them all to bits.

Not David, however. David sitting on Matteo’s couch feels like home.

He can already picture David in the small kitchen, eating pasta alla Luigi late at night, the only light coming from the streetlamps shining in through the gap in the curtains. David stretched out on the living room floor, sketching. David’s camera left on a chair somewhere. David’s coat hanging from a peg in the hallway, his shoes on the doormat, his clothes in the laundry basket.

Matteo imagines it all, and it is not frightening. It is quiet and warm and homey. It feels like how things are meant to be.

He sits down next to David, and gingerly grabs his hand. They both shiver at the touch, like they did when Matteo opened the door for David and they looked each other in the eye. Matteo turns David’s hand over, palm upwards, to see the red heart. David does the same with Matteo’s hand, and they press their fingertips to each other’s wrist.

“I just want you to know… before we go any further…”

Matteo wants to press a kiss to the heart on David’s skin.

Then he decides he can – David is his soulmate, David is here – and so he does.

David takes a deep breath, his dark eyes wide, focused on the spot where Matteo’s lips touch his skin.

“I am trans.”

Matteo nods, and kisses David’s wrist again.

“Are you – are you okay with that?”

Matteo looks up.

“I’m okay with anything as long as I get to have you. You’ll have to help me, though, I don’t want to say the wrong thing, or hurt you, or anything…”

And David laughs, the relief on his face palpable, and he grabs Matteo’s face in both hands, and he asks, an urgent tone in his voice, “Can I kiss you? Please?”

Matteo is almost to overwhelmed to react, but he manages another nod, and before he has time to think, their lips touch. Everything seems to fall together. Matteo breathes for the first time in his life.

The heart glows, but so does his skin, wherever David’s fingers wander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Finally! A kiss!
> 
> Leave me a comment, if you like?
> 
> <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with the final chapter... I'll be sad to say goodbye to these two! But, as we all know, they are going to be happy together, if maybe a bit clingy. :)
> 
> Thanks for your support along the way!
> 
> <3

Matteo no longer needs band-aids. His soul mark is covered by the hand of his soulmate, their fingers intertwined as they slowly climb up the stairs to Jonas’ and Hanna’s flat.

David looks at him, his dark eyes shining. Matteo thinks of that first picture of David he saw, with the empty eyes, waiting for something he didn’t think would ever show up. Now they are full of light and happiness. It suits him so much better.

“Are you nervous?”, Matteo asks.

David squeezes his hand.

“No,” he replies. “You?”

Matteo shakes his head and concentrates on the feel of David’s hand in his.

The last few days have been filled with David. David’s voice, David’s laugh, David’s touch, David’s kisses.

Matteo doesn’t remember what his life was like before David.

The mark doesn’t glow anymore, but it doesn’t need to. Matteo knows he loves David by the way his heart skips a beat whenever David says his name, by the way he misses David when he goes to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Even if the mark disappeared this very second, that would not change.

The words lie on the tip of his tongue every time he looks at David. He knows he won’t be able to hold them back for much longer, knows he will suffocate on them if he doesn’t let them out soon.

They reach the fourth floor, where Jonas is standing in the door already, eager to finally meet Matteo’s soulmate.

David stops Matteo before they turn the corner.

“Teo…”

Matteo swears he could melt right there and then at the nickname. David says it almost without realizing, always with so much affection.

“I know we’ve only properly met a few days ago. I know we haven’t even been together for a full week yet,” David continues. “But I will choke if I keep this in any longer.”

Matteo smiles, tears welling up in his eyes as he listens to David speak.

“I love you, Teo. I’m so in love with you and I cannot believe I am lucky enough to have you as my soulmate.”

Matteo turns his palm up in response, and David presses his soul mark against Matteo’s.

“I love you too,” Matteo says, his voice calm and clear.

He can see the future in his soulmate’s eyes.

He might be sceptic about the whole soulmate business, but in David he will always believe.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to point out any errors!
> 
> And if you want, leave me a comment. It's rainy and cold over here and I could use the warm glow a comment gives me. 💙
> 
> <3


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